Cooking apparatus using liquid bath

ABSTRACT

A water/liquid bath system for cooking includes a conventional kitchen sink, a heating unit for heating water in the sink, a temperature sensor and control unit connected to the heating unit and responsive to the temperature of the liquid to maintain the liquid at a specific temperature for cooking food inside a cooking bag or container and immersed in the liquid bath.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to cooking appliances/systems, and moreparticularly concerns such appliances and/or systems using awater/liquid bath.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the various fields of cooking techniques and appliances, a hotwater/liquid bath has been used to cook food using very accurate watertemperatures. Typically the cooking occurs over a relatively long periodof time, up to 72 hours in some cases, and at low temperatures, with thefood submerged in plastic bags and typically vacuum-sealed. Examples offood cooked include all types of meat and fish, chicken, eggs andvegetables. Fish, eggs and tender cuts of meat and chicken may be cookedin as little as 20 minutes, up to a few hours. This cooking technique istypically known by the French term “sous vide”, which means cookingunder pressure. This technique has been used in fine cuisine preparationbecause of the precise control of the cooking temperature, producingcooking benefits which have not been achieved heretofore withtraditional cooking techniques, such as baking, braising, etc. Otherexamples of cooking using a water/liquid bath include “bain-marie”techniques, in which a pan or inner container with food is placed in anouter container of hot water. This bain-marie technique is useful formelting chocolate, making custards and cheesecakes or holding food atserving temperatures.

A number of sous vide cooking appliances are commercially available andare suitable for home or commercial use. Some of these include dedicatedstand-alone appliances, which have the disadvantage of beingsingle-function appliances which require a lot of space on a countertopas well as for storage when not in use. Such systems must beindividually filled with water, typically by hand-pouring, and then mustbe emptied after each use. This can be both difficult and inconvenient.Since they are a fixed size, they also lack the capability toconveniently handle diverse quantities/sizes of food to be cooked.

Another sous vide appliance is an immersion circulator-style portableheater that can be clamped onto the side of a cooking pot or container.While this type of system overcomes some of the limitations of fixedcontainer size appliances noted above, it still has significantlimitations. Such a unit is quite heavy and must be securely clamped tothe edge of the cooking container in order to be safely used. Theoverall system may become unstable if the container is too small orrequire a larger than desirable container to accommodate the size of theheater. The immersion system is also a single-purpose appliance thatrequires considerable space and must be stored when not actually in use.Typically, immersion circulator systems have fixed minimum and maximumwater levels which may not be suitable for cooking certain items or foruse with shallow pans. Other kitchen appliances, such as coffee makers,are single purpose and heat water for one purpose. Electric pressurecookers, rice cookers, tea kettles and crock pots are other examples ofsingle purpose cooking appliances.

Alternatively, it would also be desirable to increase the flexibility ofthe minimum and maximum water levels of a water/liquid cooking applianceto adapt to various cooking requirements. Further, it would be desirableto control where the input and output ports occur and also to havemultiple intake and output ports to accommodate multiple zones ofcooking. Still further, it would be desirable to be able to measure thewater temperature at various points within the bath and at locationsvery near the food bag, even within the food bag itself. In addition, itwould be desirable to have a heat source which does not come intocontact with the water in order to protect the heat source from damageand to eliminate extensive cleaning after each use. It would also bedesirable in some situations to use an existing single purpose appliancefor another cooking technique, in order to save space and eliminate thecost of another dedicated single purpose appliance.

Also, it is desirable in some cases to have a convection system forheating and dispersing hot water without the need for a separate pumpingsystem. A limitation of existing sous vide systems is that they are alldesigned to heat the water bath to a single temperature and to maintainthat temperature uniformly throughout the water bath. In cases where itis desirable that multiple cuts of meat be cooked to differenttemperatures (doneness), multiple baths would be required or a less thandesirable single compromise temperature would be necessary.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one aspect of the invention includes a liquid-based cookingsystem which comprises: a sink for liquid; a heating unit for heatingliquid in the container sink; and a temperature control unit connectedto the heating unit and responsive to the temperature of the liquid orfood to be cooked to maintain the liquid at a specific temperature forcooking food inside a cooking bag or container present in the liquid fora period of time to cook the food.

Another aspect includes a liquid-based cooking system, comprising: asink or other container for the liquid; a heating unit for heatingliquid in the container or sink; and a temperature control unitconnected to the heating unit and responsive to the temperature of theliquid or food to be cooked to maintain the liquid at a specifictemperature for cooking food inside a cooking bag or container presentin the liquid, wherein the sink or container includes two or moretemperature zones.

Another aspect is an accessory cooking rack, comprising: a liquiddistribution or circulation system; a temperature control system for theliquid; a rack to hold food or containers for cooking food in liquid;and connecting elements connecting the liquid circulation system to ahollow portion of the rack, the hollow portion including openingspermitting entry and exit of liquid.

A still further aspect is a liquid-based cooking system, comprising: akitchen appliance having an established function; a sink or separatecontainer; and a temperature control unit connected to the heating unitand responsive to the temperature of the liquid or food to be cooked inthe sink to maintain the liquid therein at a specific temperature forcooking food inside a cooking bag or container present in the liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sous vide appliance using a conventionkitchen sink.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the appliance of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is perspective views of various control units for the system ofFIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sous vide kitchen sink appliance usingwired sensors.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the use of a sous vide applianceusing multiple cooking racks.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a sous vide appliance having multiplecooking zones.

FIG. 7 shows a sous vide appliance having two heating zone, one abovethe other.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the attachment of heating units tothe appliance of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a sous vide appliance having two zonesarranged side by side.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a sous vide appliance having twozones front to back and two upper and lower zones.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a sous vide appliance with threetemperature zones.

FIG. 12 shows a sous vide appliance with individual food items indifferent zones.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a sous vide appliance showing cookingitems with multiple temperature zones.

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of an item having three zones withdifferent temperatures.

FIG. 15A is a perspective view showing cooking bags in a horizontalposition.

FIG. 15B shows cooking bags in a vertical position.

FIG. 15C shows food bags in a vertical position held in position byracks.

FIG. 15D is a perspective view showing the position of large food itemson a rack.

FIG. 15E is a perspective view showing another arrangement of large fooditems on multiple racks.

FIG. 16A is a front elevational view of a recirculation pump used in asous vide appliance.

FIG. 16B is an upper perspective view of the recirculation pump of FIG.16A.

FIG. 16C is a lower perspective view of the recirculation pump of FIGS.16A and 16B.

FIG. 16D is a perspective view showing the recirculation pump withoutthe housing.

FIG. 16E is another view of the recirculation pump.

FIG. 17 is perspective view of a heating unit for a sous vide liquidcontainer.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the heater of FIG. 17 used with asink.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a complete sous vide controlsystem for the embodiments of FIGS. 17 and 18.

FIG. 20 is an elevational view of the submersible pump for theembodiment of FIGS. 17-19.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a heater element with a portableliquid container.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing a portable control system attachedto a sink.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a hot water dispenser used with akitchen sink as a sous vide appliance.

FIG. 24 is a lower perspective view of the appliance of FIG. 23 usingthe function of the sink faucet.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a sous videkitchen sink appliance.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a heating/cooling unit in combinationwith a tube/cooking rack arrangement for a sous vide appliance.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a “bain-marie” appliance.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a coffeemaker appliance which can beused as a sous vide appliance.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a cooking rack with integrated waterconnections.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-15 show a first embodiment of the present invention, directedtoward a sous vide water/liquid cooking appliance using a conventionalsink, in particular, a kitchen sink. Kitchen sinks are typically madewith a variety of materials designed to hold hot water for generaldomestic cleaning purposes. Water is released through a drain system.Such kitchen sinks are made in a variety of shapes. A kitchen sink istypically in a fixed location in a kitchen and occupies a significantamount of space, with many modern kitchens having more than one sinkseparated from each other or a double sink.

The present invention uses the conventional kitchen sink as a primarycooking bath. A sink is shown generally at 10 with a heating unit 12connected to the bottom of the sink, controlled by an on-off switch 13.The sink has a conventional drain 14. The heating unit 12 as shown is aninduction-style unit. While various types of heating elements can beused, if the sink is made of stainless steel or cast iron, the inductionunit will be sufficient for heat transfer to the water bath within thesink. Insulating materials 16 can surround the sink. Wired temperaturesensors 18 are positioned to provide temperature feedback information toan electronic controller 20. The controller would typically beincorporated into the induction heating unit 12, although it could alsobe located separately, as shown in FIG. 1. Wireless sensors could alsobe used in place of the wired sensors 18. An advantage of the wirelesssensors is that they can be placed inside the food bag to monitor thetemperature close to the food or the core temperature of the food, usinga probe-style sensor. If a wired sensor were used to measure the coretemperature of the food, the resulting hole in the food bag wouldtypically be sealed with a waterproof adhesive tape of the like.

Possible controls for the system, such as shown in FIG. 3, can include awireless remote unit 24 and a smart phone 26. It should be understoodthat other electronic displays could be used to monitor the cookingprocess in the water bath. Smart phones, tablets, pads or computers canbe used with various wireless techniques, such as a Bluetooth range WiFior information can be sent to the internet for monitoring as well,including wired connections or cellular data.

A bracket 28 for supporting the heating unit can be attached to the sinksuch as by welding in a factory installation or, when attached to anexisting sink, high-temperature epoxy or adhesives can be used. It isimportant that the heating unit be designed to be installed without theneed to disturb existing plumbing connections, for ease of installation.

FIG. 5 shows a cooking rack frame 29 having three separate cooking racks30-30 for supporting individual cooking bags 31-31, each of which issupported on a separate rack. The cooking rack frame 29 is adjustableand can be raised and lowered conveniently by the user, either in or outof the water/liquid bath.

Typically, but not necessarily, the sink water/liquid bath will includea floating warning member 34 which provides a warning that the sinkwater is hot to the touch. Also, it should be understood that pads canbe used to cover the entire sink for protection or for insulation (notshown). Additionally, other methods of insulation include the use offloating balls or other objects on the surface of the water/liquid. Thesink may also have a retractable lid which is secured to the sink insome manner but can be moved out of the way to expose the sink opening,without separating the lid from the sink.

FIGS. 6-15 show embodiments which include multiple cooking temperaturezones.

FIG. 6-8 shows the water bath arranged to maintain two heating zones(upper and lower), so that multiple food items can be heated separatelyin each zone or single food items could be heated in two zones at thesame time. In FIGS. 7 and 8, multiple heating elements are attached tothe sides of the sink. Heating elements 35 and 36 are attached to theupper portion of the sink while heating elements 37 and 38 attached tothe lower sides of the sink. Temperature sensors 39 and 40 monitor thetemperature in each heating zone. Controller 41 monitors the temperatureof each zone and turns on or off the individual heating elements tomaintain the target heating temperature in each of the zones. FIGS. 7-8show the two zones vertically. For example, the upper zone shown in FIG.8 might be heated to a temperature of 143° F., suitable for beef, whilethe lower zone could be maintained at a temperature of 122° F.,appropriate for fish. FIGS. 7-8 shows the two temperature zones beingstacked or on top of each other, with equal vertical dimensions,although the vertical dimensions of the two zones need not be equal. Oneor both of the zones could be used for cooling as well, using coolingelements, such as Peltier thermoelectric modules.

FIG. 9 shows two zones arranged side by side indicated at 46 and 48. Atemperature isolation baffle as shown vertical at 50 will maintain thetemperature isolation between zones 46 and 48. The isolation baffle 50is held in position by suction cups, magnets or other elements. Baffle50 could be cut to match the internal contour of the sink and placed ina position to be self-supporting. The isolation baffle could be eitherrigid or flexible. One example is Neoprene. The position of theisolation baffle could be adjusted to accommodate the size of food itemsto be cooked. The two side by side zones shown at 46 and 48 couldfurther be controlled by upper and lower heating elements on each sidereferenced at 39 and 41, thereby providing a total of four differentzones.

In operation, all of the heating elements can be used to bring thedifferent zones up to the lowest target temperature. From the lowesttarget temperature of both zones, the controller will use the sideheating zones to bring the zone up to the final temperature of that zoneand maintain it. Some of the zones could be cooling as well.

FIG. 10 shows a different orientation, with the two zones 54 and 56being positioned front to back and two additional upper and lower zones58, 60 for a total of four zones.

The heating elements for these various embodiments are typicallyelectric load style, encased in a Mylar foil for ease of application.The heating elements may be applied directly to the sink as shown orincorporated during manufacture. Other heating systems can also be used,including induction heating elements or lasers or other means. Asindicated above, the temperature sensors can be positioned within theheating zones, using wired or wireless sensors, in any combination. Thetemperature sensors may also be positioned outside the sink andprogrammed or adjusted to provide an accurate temperature of thewater/fluid inside the sink.

FIG. 11 shows a three-temperature zone embodiment, one on top ofanother. The system, referred to generally at 62, has three heatingzones vertically. Heating units 63 and 64 are used for the upper twozones while the lower zone uses a Peltier thermoelectric heating andcooling module 65. In some applications, the units 63 and 64 could bereplaced by Peltier thermoelectric heating and cooling modules of otherheating/cooling systems to provide a greater range of temperatures ineach zone. The module 65 can become either a heating or cooling module,depending upon the power supplied to the module. When the cooling unit65 is used alone, the water bath can be used to chill food as well asdrinks. Safe food handling practices include the use of an ice orchilling bath after the food is cooked to quickly reduce the temperatureof the food before storing it in a refrigerator or freezer. While thisis common practice in commercial food handling, it is often overlookedin the home kitchen. In the present system, the hot water/liquid iseasily drained from the sink and replaced with cold water. The chillingcycle is turned on, eliminating the need for adding ice. Chilling mayalso be accomplished with a variety of options, including conventionalcompressors and refrigeration systems. Chilled gel or other coolingpacks or containers may also be positioned inside or outside of the sinkfor cooling.

Further, prior to the water bath being heated to a target temperature, afood item may be held at a safe cool temperature. At a scheduled time,the cooling bath can be turned off and the heating process begun. Theuse of a cooling module increases the range of possible temperaturetargets. The cooling module 65 at the bottom of the sink with heatingelements at the upper side of the sink creates a natural convergencezone of the water temperature gradient.

Each zone may be targeted and displayed separately for monitoring. FIG.12 shows individual food items. As one example, beef steaks in upperzone 70 could be set for well done at 160° F., intermediate zone 72 formedium at 140° and lower zone 74 for 120° for rare. In sous videcooking, the target temperature of the water bath is typically set at 1°or 2° higher than the final food serving temperature desired. If a probeis positioned in the food item, then the target temperature is set tothe final serving temperature. Temperature monitoring may beaccomplished using a single sensor or combination of sensors, positionedwithin the sink or outside the sink. Various temperature sensingtechnologies, including infrared, may be used. After the desired cookingtime and temperature is achieved, the food may continue to be held atthe proper temperature until it is served.

Another common problem is keeping dish water hot enough over a period oftime to properly clean dishes in the sink. The present system willmaintain water at the desired temperature as long as needed, eliminatingthe need to drain the cooled dish water and replace it again with hotwater from the tap.

Multi-temperature items can be accommodated readily with the two orthree-layer system. FIG. 13, for instance, shows a single food item 76with a wide range of temperatures, textures and flavors, such as forinstance, a hot fudge sundae. One possibility would be using three zones80, 82, 84, such as shown in FIG. 14, where the bottom layer 86 of thesundae could be cold, frosty or frozen, while the middle layer 88 couldbe warm, soft and smooth and the top layer 90 hot or silky. While amulti-temperature zone system is shown here with two or three zones, thenumber of zones may be increased as required by various specific cookingtechniques. The size of the zones may be increased as well.

The potential cooking racks designed to hold in position food in bagsare shown in FIGS. 15 a-15 e. Food in bags 100 may be positioned bothhorizontally, as shown in FIG. 15 a, or vertically, as shown in FIG. 15b, to accommodate various cooking techniques with multiple-zoneconfigurations. For instance, the entire food rack 102 can be loadedwith food outside of the water bath and then positioned in the waterbath fully loaded. FIGS. 15 b-15 c show arrangements where the food bagsare positioned vertically, held by clips or held in position in racks,while FIGS. 15 d and 15 e show arrangements by which large food items106 can be cooked either individually or with smaller items 108,demonstrating the versatility of the present system.

FIGS. 16 a-16 e show a recirculation pump 110 which is useful when thewater bath is to be maintained at a uniform temperature throughout aheating zone. The pump is positioned in either a vertical or horizontalorientation, provided that the water intake opening 112 is below thewater level. Magnet 114 on the bottom of the pump attaches the pump to astainless steel or cast iron sink. Otherwise, suction cups or otherattachment elements can be used. Pump 66 may include a battery 116 and acharging port 118 for the battery. An on/off switch 120 is shown in FIG.20B. The pump moves water to the outlet ports 124. It is preferable thatports 124 be arranged around the circumference of the pump and atdifferent heights. The pump 110 produces an even water distribution,resulting in a more even temperature zone. In operation, water is movedpassed the intake separator 126, then flows between the battery casehousing 130 and the outer case housing 132.

FIG. 25 shows an alternative embodiment to the embodiments of FIGS.1-15. FIG. 17 includes an integrated heater control assembly 133, with aplug 134 which in use is connected to the source of power. Extendingfrom the heater control unit, which is in the modern shape of a pear,the water distribution lines are shown at 134 and 135. They are attachedvia magnetic bases 135 and 136 to the sink 137. A temperature sensor 138extends from the heater/control unit.

A portable heating unit for a sink or other container is shown in FIGS.17-19. The portable heating unit can be used with any sink 142 (FIG. 18)as an alternative to permanently attaching a heating unit to the sink,as shown in FIGS. 1-15. This embodiment includes a heating and controlunit 140 and a water exchange unit 141. A flexible hose or similarmember 144 connects unit 140 with unit 142. In FIG. 19, water from thehot water bath is typically pumped through an inlet line 145 and throughor by a heating element 147 and then returns to the hot water bath. Athermo fuse 146 is shown for protection. A solid-state relay 150operates the heating unit and the pump, and the controller 152.

The water exchange system is shown in FIG. 20, using a submersible pump153. A temperature sensor probe 154 is attachable by means of a magnet156. The portable heating unit can be readily moved from sink to sink orlocation to location. In some situations the system may use aself-priming pump or pumps in place of or in combination with thesubmersible pump or pumps 153 to allow greater flexibility in placementand size of the pump, such as in the housing 140 (FIG. 17). The pumpcould also be controlled independently of the solid-state relay 150 toprovide continuous circulation. A self-priming pump may tend to belouder during operation than a submersible style pump that is notself-priming. In some situations where a quieter operation is desirable,a submersible pump could be in the housing 140 (FIG. 17) used forcirculation in combination with a self-priming pump to lift the water tothe housing. While a single flexible hose housing 144 is showncontaining both the hot water outflow and cold water return tubes, insome cases the tubing could be separate and independently positioned forcertain cooking requirements. The hot water output and the cold waterreturn may be positioned with a variety of attachments or distributiondevices. For example, tubing may be part of a cooking rack which wouldbe suitable for very shallow water cooking such as for bain-marie stylecustards or crème brulee. For larger containers, more than one waterdistribution port may be used, as well as multiple water return ports.Likewise the location of temperature sensor probes could be positionedas desired.

FIG. 26 shows an example of a heating unit 155 where the water iscirculated through tubes 156 which are part of a cooking rack 157. FIG.27 shows a similar arrangement with a shallow tray 159, holding aplurality of custard cups 161 for bain-marie cooking.

A cooking rack accessory is shown in FIG. 29, generally at 159. Itincludes spaced hollow water tubes 163, 164, with openings 165 spacedtherealong. Solid rack bars 166 are attached to the tubes 163, 164 alongthe lengths thereof. Flexible water tubes 167, 168 connect to one end ofthe tubes 163, 164 and extend out of the sink to a heating/control unit.Such a cooking rack can be used for both shallow cooking trays andconventional sink depths. The sink may have liquid-tight openings towhich flexible water tubes and the hollow water tubes may be attached.Such an arrangement can be used for the typical sink embodimentdescribed above.

Still referring to a portable water control system, FIG. 21 includes ahot water container 160. The sensor 162 shown in FIG. 21 is used tomaintain the correct level of water in the heating source. In oneconfiguration, a pump is used, where the cold water is returned to aheating source and then passed through a heat exchanger and returned tothe hot water bath 166. A temperature probe is contained in unit 162.

This portable control system can be configured or attachable to a sink167 or another container. The control system could also be designed intoa typical dedicated single purpose appliance such as a coffee maker tocreate a multi-use appliance. When the appliance is in the sous videmode, the control system could use a shared water heating system, wherethe hot water would be transferred to a sink or container, and the coldwater returned for heating. The hot water output tubes and cold waterreturn could be detached with quick disconnect fittings when returned tothe coffee mode. By turning a typical single purpose appliance into dual(or more) purpose appliance, counter space is saved and a cost savingsmay be realized as a result of the shared components. Conventional ricecookers, steamers or pressure cookers could also be utilized with thissystem.

Such an appliance is shown in FIG. 28. In this example, a coffeemaker190 in one mode is a conventional coffeemaker. It also includes hotwater output tube 190 and cold water return 192, which have quickdisconnect fittings to the coffeemaker. Also included is a temperaturesensor 194. In the arrangement of FIG. 28, a conventional sink 196 isused when the appliance is in the sous vide mode.

FIGS. 23 and 24 show an instant hot water dispenser as a heating source,as shown at 170 in FIG. 23 while retaining the function of the faucet,174 in FIG. 23. Hot water is added to the sink water bath 172, with theexcess water being drained into a sink drain pipe, as shown at 174. Thecontrol unit 176 operates a valve 178 to control the flow of hot waterto the bath, with temperature sensors 180, which can be wired orwireless probes. In cooking situations where it is not necessary to fillan entire sink with water, a smaller container may be placed in the sinkfor cooking, and the excess water simply goes down the standard sinkdrain. Additionally, the hot water spout could be designed to pull outor to adjust the height in a way that would direct the water to reducesplashing and improve circulation. Tubing could also be attached to thefaucet spout, fixture, or water tank and directed as needed tocontainers or accessory water distribution ports or racks.

Hence, a conventional kitchen sink or other water container can beutilized as a sous vide or bain-marie appliance. Heating units can beapplied directly to the sink, for instance, or they can be a portableunit which is usable with an existing sink or other water container. Thesystem may also be incorporated into the design or manufacturing of newsinks. Further, an instant hot water dispenser can be used which is partof an existing sink installation. Control systems and temperaturesensors are used with each system to maintain the temperature of thewater at the desired level in order to give the full sous vide effect.Multiple temperature zones may be controlled in the same sink orcontainer to provide enhanced cooking techniques. In addition, atemperature sensor can be used inside the plastic bag containing thefood or in some cases can be inserted directly into the item to becooked itself. While the term water bath has been used in thedescriptions, it should be understood that many liquids, gels, emulsionsor phase-change materials (PCM) may be suitable for various cookingrequirements and are included in this system. For example, a combinationof water and cooking oil may be used. A layer of cooking oil could“float” on top of a layer of water to create more control over variousthermal layers. Another technique could use temperature sensitive gelssuch as those made with agar, that turn from liquid to gel state belowvarious temperatures. Using gel layers and various water layers couldalter the thermal properties of each layer and provide increasedflexibility for new innovative cooking techniques. Some temperaturecontrol cooking techniques might use liquids, gels, molds or containersthat may be chilled or heated prior to placement in a water or liquidbath. In some situations the food itself, or portions of the food couldbe dipped or frozen with liquid nitrogen (−321° F.) in order to obtainthe desired texture and temperature results.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed forpurposes of illustration, it should be understood that various changes,modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in the embodimentwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined bythe claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A liquid-based cooking system, comprising: a sinkfor liquid; a heating unit for heating liquid in the container sink; anda temperature control unit connected to the heating unit and responsiveto the temperature of the liquid or food to be cooked to maintain theliquid at a specific temperature for cooking food inside a cooking bagor container present in the liquid for a period of time to cook thefood.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid is water.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the specific temperature is pre-establishedin accordance with the specific food to be cooked.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the liquid container is a conventional, in-placekitchen sink.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sink is a portablecontainer.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the heating unit isportable relative to the sink.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein theheating unit is separate from the sink and heat is transferred to thesink.
 8. The system of claim 1, including a cooking rack for supportingthe food bags or containers, positionable in the sink.
 9. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the temperature sensors are connected wirelessly to thecontrol unit.
 10. The system of claim 1, including remote devices forsetting and/or maintain the temperature.
 11. The system of claim 10,wherein the remote devices include one of the following: phone, smartphone, tablet or computer.
 12. A liquid-based cooking system,comprising: a sink or other container for liquid; a heating unit forheating liquid in the container or sink; and a temperature control unitconnected to the heating unit and responsive to the temperature of theliquid or food to be cooked to maintain the liquid at a specifictemperature for cooking food inside a cooking bag or container presentin the liquid, wherein the sink or container includes two or moretemperature zones.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein each temperaturezone has a separate heating unit and a separate temperature sensor unitincluded therewith
 14. The system of claim 12, wherein a single heatingunit is used to heat more than one temperature zone.
 15. The system ofclaim 12, wherein a temperature sensor unit is used to monitor more thanone temperature zone.
 16. The system of claim 12, wherein the liquidcontainer is a portable container.
 17. The system of claim 12, whereinthe liquid is water.
 18. The system of claim 12, wherein the specifictemperature is pre-established in accordance with the specific food tobe cooked.
 19. The system of claim 12, wherein the sink is aconventional, in-place kitchen sink.
 20. The system of claim 12, whereinthe heating unit is attached to the sides or bottom of the sink.
 21. Thesystem of claim 12, wherein the heating unit is separate from the sinkor container and heat is transferred to the sink.
 22. The system ofclaim 12, including a multi-level cooking rack for supporting the foodbags or containers, positionable in the two or more temperature zones.23. The system of claim 12, wherein the temperature sensors areconnected wirelessly to the control unit.
 24. The system of claim 12,including remote devices for setting and/or maintaining the temperature.25. The system of claim 24, wherein the remote devices include one ofthe following: phone, smart phone, tablet or computer.
 26. The system ofclaim 12, wherein at least one of the temperature zones is controllablein temperature
 27. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of thetemperature zones is adjustable in size or shape.
 28. The system ofclaim 12, wherein the temperature zones are vertically oriented.
 29. Thesystem of claim 12, wherein the temperature zones are oriented side byside.
 30. The system of claim 16, including a baffle between theside-by-side temperature zones.
 31. The system of claim 1, including twoor more temperature zones, wherein one or more of the temperature zonesincludes both heating and cooling capability.
 32. The system of claim 1,wherein the liquid is held at a temperature to keep food cold and thenheated to a cooking temperature.
 33. The system of claim 1, wherein theliquid is heated to a cooking temperature and then cool liquid is usedto chill the food after it has been cooked, and the heated liquidremoved.
 34. The system of claim 1, including a recirculation pump whichis positionable within the sink for circulating the liquid therein. 35.The system of claim 1, including a recirculation member having at leastone inlet and outlet attached to the sink for circulating the liquidtherein.
 36. The system of claim 1, including a recirculation memberhaving at least one inlet and outlet, which are adjustable in positionwithin the sink.
 37. The system of claim 1, wherein the heating unit andthe temperature control unit are portable as a unit and attachable tothe sink or other container, including a system for transferring heat tothe sink.
 38. The system of claim 1, wherein the heating source is a hotwater dispenser for a sink.
 39. The system of claim 12, wherein thetemperature zones are arranged so that a single food item can becooked/cooled to different temperatures for different regions of thefood item.
 40. An accessory cooking rack, comprising: a liquiddistribution or circulation system; a temperature control system for theliquid; a rack to hold food or containers for cooking food in theliquid; and connecting elements connecting the liquid circulation systemto hollow portions of the rack, the hollow portions including openingspermitting entry and exit of liquid.
 41. A liquid-based cooking system,comprising: a kitchen appliance having an established function with aheating unit; a sink or separate container; a temperature control unitconnected to the heating unit and responsive to the temperature of theliquid or food to be cooked in the sink to maintain liquid therein at aspecific temperature for cooking food inside a cooking bag or containerpresent in the liquid.
 42. The system of claim 42, wherein the kitchenappliance is a coffee maker.